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October 2009
Heart Beats
by Laura Whitehorn
Recent evidence suggests that women living with HIV may not have a higher risk of heart disease than their negative peers. Comparing 249 positive with 127 negative women, a study in the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes in June found that neither being positive nor taking HIV meds made any difference: Everyone’s blood levels of a heart-disease risk indicator (the enzyme homocysteine/HCY) were pretty much the same.
Elevated HCY is linked to coronary heart disease, clogged arteries and strokes. An intriguing note: The researchers found that women who did have higher HCY levels also had low levels of vitamin B-12 and folate (a B vitamin), suggesting that vitamin B supplements might help protect the heart.
Search: heart disease, stroke, HCY
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